As methods for installing initialization-software into a computer to initialize the computer, for example, methods described in Japanese Patent No. 3173361 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6(1994)-51958 are known. Japanese Patent No. 3173361 discloses a technique for installing software into a computer automatically via a network. According to this, an installation server is provided with a means for automatically generating unique parameters such as computer names corresponding to a plurality of computers to be initialized, by using their respective network addresses. Thereby, it is possible to reduce task time for installing respective initialization-software programs into a plurality of computers connected to a system.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6(1994)-51958 discloses an installation media creating device for creating installation media having respective contents conforming to different users. This installation media creating device comprises an installation software storage means in which software to be installed is stored, an input means for inputting user-dependent data, a software generating means for changing installation software by user-dependent data and generating user-dependent installation software, and a media creating means for creating installation media based on user-dependent installation software generated by the software generating means.
By the way, computers have diverse configurations according to functions and uses. Particularly, for embedded computers, their configurations are much diversified. For example, there even are many computers configured without an interface for network connection, a CD-ROM, or a hard disk. Further even as to software to be loaded into computers, it is required to provide catering to varieties of software, because some computers do not use universal basic software (Operating System; OS) and other computers use a sophisticated OS for network services. Therefore, there is a need for preparing different items of application software programs that are implemented, appropriately according to requirements of respective users of computers.
However, the methods for initializing computers, described in the above-mentioned prior arts and the like, have a problem in which an adequate consideration is not taken for catering to different configurations depending on functions and uses of computers required by users and differences of application software programs to be implemented.
Specifically, the installation server disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3173361 acquires a parameter essential to installation for a machine into which software should be installed from a unique parameter information database. Therefore, a precondition is that a machine into which software should be installed and the installation server be connected by a network. Consequently, this method cannot apply to a computer without a network interface. If a parameter corresponding to a machine into which software should be installed does not exist in the unique parameter information database, a parameter essential to installation is determined by a prearranged rule. This rule has to be determined before hand and it is hard to satisfy a demand for an arbitrary combination of application software programs.
The installation media creating device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6(1994)-51958 changes installation software by user-dependent data that has been input from the user-dependent data input unit and generates and outputs user-dependent installation software. Here, the user-dependent data is information such as a computer environment, user environment, and software environment specific for an individual user corresponding to a user name. This leaves a problem of not meeting a demand of specifying a combination of application software programs to be installed optionally into an individual computer. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6(1994)-51958, no description is provided as to the configuration of the user-dependent input unit. Therefore, it is unclear how to register and refer to user-dependent data and it must be solved how to register a combination of application software programs optionally into an individual computer.
In general, products of embedded computers are available with diversified types, but inmost cases, the number of products manufactured per type is relatively small. Because of a reduction in the manufacturing cost per machine, the number of used parts is reduced as few as possible. For this reason, in most cases, such computers are not equipped with interfaces for basic software and installation media such as, for example, BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) ROM and CD-ROM, generally found in a personal computer (PC). Under such restrictions, there is a demand for a method that makes it possible to perform not only a software installation task in a manufacturing process up to a maintenance task after product shipment at less cost and infallibly.
The present invention is to provide a computer initialization system that can flexibly cater to differences among hardware configurations and software configurations of computers and is convenient.